Dark as Her Sister was Fair
by Gamma Orionis
Summary: Three one-shots about the relationship between Narcissa and Bellatrix. Written for Rosalie'sRevenge's OPI Competition on the HPFC forum.
1. Cajun Shrimp

Author's Notes: The first of three one-shots about the relationship between Narcissa and Bellatrix. Written for Rosalie'sRevenge's OPI Competition on the HPFC Forum, inspired by the names of OPI nail polish colours.

)O(

"Why is it," Bellatrix asked, staring at her reflection in the mirror, "that every time I think I've gone to all the parties the universe has to offer, there's another one?"

"Will you help me with my dress?" Narcissa asked, ignoring her older sister's question. "Just tighten the laces, will you?"

Bellatrix sighed and pulled Narcissa's long, straight blonde hair out of the way so she could see the laces that criss-crossed the back of her dress.

"You've laced them up wrong again, Cissy," Bellatrix sighed. "Here, let me."

Bellatrix carefully pulled the strings out of the eyelets, and set about re-lacing it.

"If you're going to wear corset dresses," she said tiredly, "you should either get better at lacing, or just ask me to lace it up in the first place."

"I know," Narcissa sighed. "I will next time."

"You said that last time. Honestly, Cissy, any Pureblood ought to know how to lace a corset properly."

Narcissa didn't say anything for a while, just stared at her reflection until Bellatrix finished.

"There," Bellatrix said at last. "That's better. You look like a proper Pureblood girl, now."

)O(

Druella Black appraised her two daughters.

"Not bad," she said. "Now remember, girls, you have to prove to everyone at the party that the Blacks are still as charming and pure as ever. Your sister, the blood traitor, has given our family a bad name, and you two must show that she was the exception, not the usual. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Mother," said Narcissa, and Bellatrix nodded.

"Good," said Druella. She glanced over her daughters – Bellatrix in black, Narcissa in powder blue, Bellatrix all sensual relaxation, Narcissa all prim composure.

"What on earth is that on your hands, Narcissa?" Druella asked sharply.

Narcissa quickly hid her hands in the folds of her pale blue skirt. "Nothing."

"Have you been painting your nails again?" Druella grabbed Narcissa's wrist and yanked it up. "We've talked about this, Narcissa! Go clean it off! You will not come downstairs wearing polish on your nails like some muggle slut!"

Narcissa dropped her head and turned back for the bedroom.

"I'll help her," Bellatrix said.

"You have to come downstairs–"

"I'll just make sure she takes it off," said Bellatrix, and quickly stepped into the bedroom and shut the door.

Narcissa sat down at her vanity and pulled out her wand to siphon the polish off her nails. Bellatrix settled next to her and watched.

"It didn't go with your dress anyhow," Bellatrix said eventually.

"Why are you here?" Narcissa snapped, scowling at her red fingernails.

"Anything to put off having to go down to the party," Bellatrix said. "Where do you keep the nail polish?"

Narcissa used her wand to indicate a small wooden box. Bellatrix opened it, and looked inside, at the bottle of coral-red polish in it.

Bellatrix took it out, and peered at the label.

"Cajun Shrimp," she read. "What does that even mean?"

Narcissa ignored her. Bellatrix waited a moment for an answer, then unscrewed the black lid. She wrinkled her nose, and held it away from her. "That's putrid. Why would you want to put that on your hands?"

"Because it bothers Mother, I suppose," Narcissa said, putting her wand down and examining her newly cleaned fingernails. "Small rebellions and all that."

"How is it a rebellion to put this muggle… whatever it is on your fingernails? You're only hurting yourself." Bellatrix sniffed it again. "I wouldn't be surprised if it's poisonous."

"I'm not _eating_ it!"

"But you're smearing it on your hands."

Narcissa crossed her arms and scowled at her older sister. "You don't have to act all holier-than-thou about it. It's not that bad. And it stops smelling after it dries."

"It's still trashy," Bellatrix said, tossing the bottle lightly into the air and catching it. "I hate to sound like Mother, but why would you want to look like some sort of muggle slut?"

"Oh, shut up, Bella."

"Well, it's true. People who wear nail polish do look like muggle sluts."

Narcissa stood up, and turned away from her eldest sister, sticking her nose in the air. "I'm going down to the party. And I'm not going to listen to you tell me that _I_ look like a muggle."

"A muggle _slut_," Bellatrix corrected, leaning back against Narcissa's vanity.

Narcissa stamped away, the pale blue silk of her skirt rustling around her. Bellatrix sat for quite a while at the vanity, then she turned the bottle around in her hand.

It was shockingly bright, especially for Narcissa who habitually wore only pale, pastel colours – powder pink, sky blue, spring green. This… _nail lacquer_, the label said, was a shade of scarlet so intense it hurt Bellatrix's eyes to look at it too long. And the _smell_…

Bellatrix considered the bottle for a long time, then looked at herself in Narcissa's mirror. In her black dress, she was stunningly colourless. Black hair, pale skin, black dress, dark eyes. Her lips were stained red, but they were the only colour she wore. Perhaps a little scarlet was just what Bellatrix needed…

She stood and opened the glass doors that led to Narcissa's balcony so that the smell of the polish didn't overpower her, then opened the cap. Carefully, she painted it over her nails, admiring the vibrant colour. It felt cool and heavy, adhering smoothly to her nails, not at all unpleasant as Bellatrix had expected. Even the smell wasn't too bad, after you got used to it.

Bellatrix finished her nails, and carefully screwed the cap back on the bottle, then blew on her fingernails as she had seen Narcissa doing on occasion. She spread out her fingers on the table and looked at them, looked at herself in the mirror. Yes, having coral-red nails really did help her. Bellatrix thought she looked quite lovely, in fact.

_Perhaps muggles have some good ideas after all_.


	2. Italian Love Affair

Warning: While this fic overall is rated K+, this chapter should really be T. There's a little discussion of sex (nothing at all explicit), and incest of you squint hard enough. And fluffiness. You have been warned.

)O(

"Isn't it lovely?" Narcissa asked.

Bellatrix smiled at her little sister. "It is lovely."

They were sitting on the balcony of the Black's Italian villa, where they were on a summer vacation. The Blacks went to Italy every summer, ostensibly to get away from the bustle and dirt of London. The two sisters were looking out over the ocean. The sun had set a while ago, and the velvety black sky was dotted with constellations. The sisters had been sitting for a long time, in silence, watching the sky go from turquoise to royal blue, to deepest violet, and finally to black.

"Think you can find us in the stars?" Bellatrix asked, overtaken with a rare wave of nostalgia. When the girls had been young they had looked up at the sky and searched for the stars Bellatrix, Sirius and Regulus, the constellation Andromeda, and, for Narcissa, who was the only Black not named for a constellation, Virgo, her birth sign.

Narcissa curled in her big sister's arms, rested her head on her shoulder, and pointed to the sky. "There you are, Bella. And there's Sirius, and there's Regulus. Virgo set in June."

"Good girl," Bellatrix murmured. She stroked Narcissa's fine, silky hair.

"Bella?"

"Mm-hm?"

"Why am I the only one who didn't get named after a star or constellation?"

Bellatrix didn't answer right away. She kept stroking her little sister's head, like a cat, smoothing the corn silk hair with gentle, steady motions.

"For the same reason you're the only Black with blonde hair," she said at last.

"Hmm?" Narcissa raised her head, looked up at her sister. "What?"

Bellatrix blew out a long breath, and looked away. "Nothing."

"You only say 'Nothing' when it's something important!" Narcissa said, sitting up straight. "So what is it? Why _am_ I the only Black with blonde hair?"

"Nothing, Cissy. Look, there's someone out on a boat–"

"Don't change the subject, Bella!"

"Calm down, Cissy," Bellatrix said, looking rather shocked at how vehement Narcissa was.

"I am calm." Narcissa took several deep breaths, then fixed her eyes on Bellatrix's. "What are you talking about?"

Bellatrix blew out slowly. "I suppose you had to find out eventually." She pulled her sister close again. "You know Abraxas Malfoy, don't you?"

"Of course, he's Lucius's father."

"Well," Bellatrix said grimly, "Mother knew him too."

"What?"

Bellatrix put her hand over Narcissa's head, stared out across the ocean.

"We were staying here," she said. "Father had to go back to England. Some work commitment. I don't know what, I was only six. But he sent Abraxas here to stay with Mother. Don't know what he was thinking, except that he thought Mother needed a man to keep her safe in a strange country or some such. And Father trusted Abraxas."

Bellatrix squeezed her hands into fists, knotting them in Narcissa's long, fine hair, and her voice turned to a low snarl. "Bloody trusted him."

"Bella?"

"Abraxas slept with Mother," Bellatrix said, her voice ice cold. "Abraxas slept with Mother, and she got pregnant. She thought Andromeda and I wouldn't realize what was going on. Even a six-year-old notices if her Mother gets pregnant, though."

Narcissa's face was ashen, and she seemed too stunned even to speak. "You mean…"

Bellatrix pushed Narcissa away from her, and stood up, pacing the length of the balcony.

"You were born nine months later," she said, looking out across the ocean. "Little blonde creature. Of course, Father couldn't help but notice you don't look like anyone we know except Abraxas. So you didn't get a Black name. You got a Malfoy name."

Narcissa put her fingers into her mouth and bit down on them, trying to keep back tears.

"Oh, Merlin," Bellatrix muttered. She sat down again, and pulled Narcissa's hand out of her mouth. "Don't cry, Cissy, I don't know what to do if you start crying…"

"So I'm not… a Black?" Narcissa managed.

Bellatrix put her arms around her little sister, and rocked her back and forth.

"I hate to have been the one to tell you," she said. "I suppose Mother always figured that you would either work it out eventually, or else you wouldn't and it would never matter."

Narcissa's lip trembled, and a fat tear slid down her cheek.

Bellatrix grabbed Narcissa by either side of her head, and forced her to look her in the eye.

"Are you very angry at Mother?" she whispered, staring very hard at Narcissa. "Or at Abraxas? Do you want me to do something horrible to them for you? I would, you know. Do you want me to hurt them for you?"

Narcissa sniffled, and buried her face in Bellatrix's neck.

"Don't want them hurt, just want you," she whimpered. "Just want to be your sister."

"You're always my sister," Bellatrix said. She hugged her baby sister tightly, pulled her close. "You're always my sister."


	3. Ladies and Magentamen

"Mistress Narcissa, Mr. Malfoy is here. He wishes to see you."

Narcissa, who had been sitting on her bed reading, looked to the house-elf, and jumped up immediately. "Tell him I'll be right down!"

The house-elf scurried away, and Narcissa turned to Bellatrix eagerly. "How do I look?"

Bellatrix examined her sister, not sure whether to smile indulgently or snap at her. "You look like Narcissa."

"Is that a good thing?"

Smiling indulgently won out, and Bellatrix grinned as she stood up and pushed her little sister towards the door.

"Stop worrying about what you look like," she said. "If Lucius is anything resembling decent, he won't care."

"That means I look awful, doesn't it?"

"You look perfect, Cissy. Now go on! Don't keep him waiting!"

Narcissa giggled, then picked up her skirts and ran down the stairs, stopping at the bottom to wave to her sister before pulling the door open.

Lucius was standing there, with Rodolphus Lestrange at his side. Narcissa looked at Rodolphus wondering what he was doing there, and he cleared his throat, looking away from Narcissa rather awkwardly.

"I was hoping to see Bellatrix," he said. "Do you think she would object?"

"She's in our bedroom," Narcissa told him, waving in the direction of the stairs. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind at all."

"Thank you," said Rodolphus, walking quickly past Narcissa and up towards the girls' bedroom.

"Lucius," Narcissa said, now turning her attention to her suitor, who was looking as handsome as ever. He sketched a bow, then took Narcissa's hand and kissed it.

"Narcissa," Lucius said. "It's lovely to see you."

"Likewise," Narcissa said, lowering her head and looking up at Lucius through her lashes.

"Might we take a walk?" he asked, offering his arm. Narcissa laid her fingers lightly on it, nodded to the house-elf who was hovering questioningly by the door, and stepped out into the evening.

Lucius led Narcissa through the gardens, and indicated a bench, which Narcissa sat down on. He waved his wand, producing a bunch of deep pink roses.

"For you, Narcissa," he said, giving them to her.

"Why, thank you, Lucius," Narcissa said. She took the roses and inhaled their scent deeply. "What's the occasion?"

"Do I need an occasion?"

Narcissa said nothing, only smelled her roses and occasionally looking sideways at Lucius. He sat quietly, watching her, and seeming to be working up the nerve to speak. Bellatrix would have pressed him to tell her what was on her mind, but Narcissa waited patiently for him.

After several very long minutes, Lucius took Narcissa's left hand and stroked it gently.

"You are a lovely woman, Narcissa."

"Thank you," said Narcissa, a little breathily.

"And there's a lot to what I'm going to ask you, but… Narcissa Black…" Lucius produced a ring from his breast pocket. "Would you marry me?"

Narcissa blushed.

"I would, Lucius," she smiled, and Lucius slipped the ring onto her finger.

)O(

When Narcissa scurried out of their bedroom and down the stairs, and Bellatrix felt a pang.

Andromeda was long-married, albeit to a Mudblood. Lucius Malfoy was no doubt going to ask for Narcissa's hand any day now. For all Bellatrix knew, that was what he had turned up to do. And she, Bellatrix, the eldest, the prettiest, the most desired, was still unmarried and virtually unromanced.

Bellatrix pushed the French doors that led out onto a tiny balcony open, and stepped out, breathing in the night air. She stared out, aimlessly across the grounds of Black Manor.

"Bellatrix?"

She startled, and whirled around, braced for attack, but relaxed when she saw who it was.

"Oh, Lestrange. It's just you. Did you come in with Lucius?"

"Your sister said it was all right for me to come up here. I didn't mean to frighten you…" he said awkwardly. Bellatrix sighed. Rodolphus Lestrange had said all of twenty words, and already he had managed to annoy her.

"Nothing _frightens_ me, Lestrange. You startled me, that's all."

"Well, I didn't mean to startle you…"

"Did you have something to say, Lestrange?"

"Well, yes, actually… I had something to ask you…"

"Spit it out then, Lestrange. I don't have all night."

"Well… Bellatrix, we've known each other for a long time…"

"I _know_ that, Lestrange."

"And you're a… a very attractive woman…"

"I know that too, Lestrange. Now hurry up and make your point."

Rodolphus blew out and scowled at Bellatrix. "You're impossible, you know, Black."

"So I've been told."

The two of them stared at each other for a long time, Bellatrix with a smirk, and Rodolphus with an expression of exasperation. Then Rodolphus grabbed Bellatrix's hand and shoved a diamond ring onto her finger.

"Marry me, Black," he ordered her.

"Gladly, Lestrange," Bellatrix said, and kissed him hard.

)O(

Narcissa hurried into their bedroom, flushed with excitement. _Lucius proposed! Lucius finally proposed!_

"Bella!" she squealed.

Bellatrix was sitting on her unmade bed, smiling widely.

"Bella, you'll never guess what just happened!"

"Don't tell me," Bellatrix grinned wickedly. "Lucius told you that he was going to be leaving for America tomorrow and you two will have to communicate by owl until he gets back."

"Of course not, Bella!"

"Then Lucius took you out into the gardens and pushed you up against the wall and lifted your skirt and–"

"_Bella_! You're terrible!"

"Then," Bellatrix said, standing up and approaching her sister, "he must have proposed to you. Am I right?"

Narcissa seemed momentarily incapable of speaking, then stuck her left hand out so that Bellatrix could see the ring on it.

"Congratulations, Cissy," Bellatrix said, and hugged her little sister tightly.

They stood that way for some time, two sisters, locked in a warm embrace.

"Narcissa?" Bellatrix murmured after a while.

"Yes?"

"Did you tell Rodolphus to come up to see me?"

"Yes," Narcissa said, pulling back. "I didn't think you'd mind. You didn't mind, did you?"

"Oh, I don't mind at all," Bellatrix grinned. "In fact, I have my own little piece of news."

Narcissa looked, first with amazement, then with increasing excitement, at the ring on Bellatrix's own hand.

"He didn't!" she squealed. "Rodolphus proposed to you?"

"You could say that."

Narcissa stood on her tiptoes, and wrapped her arms around her big sister's neck so tightly that Bellatrix choked.

"It's perfect, Bellatrix!" Narcissa said, her voice now slightly tearful. "We can be married together!"

"Yes, we can," said Bellatrix.

"You and Rodolphus and me and Lucius," Narcissa continued, dreamily. "The four of us could have a double wedding…"

"Like the perfect ladies and gentlemen that we are," Bellatrix finished.

)O(

_Fin_


End file.
